David Norton announces run for Mayor of Pawtucket

The "City of Pawtucket faces a number of challenges that the current administration has failed to address, including the rape of a disabled child in our school system, the effective loss of our Memorial Hospital, and the nonstop Quixotic pursuit of a taxpayer-funded stadium," writes David Norton, who has previously run for State Representative and State Senate. "Today I announce my intention to run for Mayor of Pawtucket." "As mayor of Pawtucket," said Norton. "I will be pursuing a number of progressive goals with executive orders, guidelines and/or other tools at the disposal of the Mayor." Norton provided a preview of his platform:

• achieving near gender parity on city boards, commissions, and committees,
• addressing the issue of gun violence and in particular, strongly pursuing restrictions on assault weapons and requiring trigger locks for firearms,
• ending the archaic use of only male pronouns in the Pawtucket City Charter,
• recognizing and progressing the rights of transgender individuals with changes in city hiring practices/guidelines and also establishing guidelines for the promotion and creation of gender-neutral bathroom policy.
• promoting diversity at City Hall, the Pawtucket Police Department, and the Pawtucket Fire and Rescue Departments by changing city hiring practices to recognize the value of ethnic, racial and linguistic diversity
• establishing a renewable energy requirement on new construction within the city and also solarizing as much city property as possible.
• establishing an affordable housing requirement on new construction or renovation on large-scale housing projects,
• protecting our immigrant residents with updated guidelines, proclamations, and education concerning ICE practices

But central to Norton's candidacy is his opposition to the proposed new PawSox Stadium: "Not fighting for our hospital and instead pursuing a taxpayer-funded stadium for the PawSox billionaire ownership group is certainly not the right direction," writes Norton. "The reckless pursuit of a taxpayer-funded stadium highlights a lack of understanding of the daily struggles of members of our community. The current administration is not only not addressing the concerns of our low-income and minority residents but is exacerbating the issue of income inequality in its reckless and embarrassing pursuit of a taxpayer-funded stadium which will burden out low-income/high-tax city with debt for an entire three decades." Norton is challenging Democratic Mayor Donald Grebien.

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